3 Cardinals who could be traded this offseason if Paul Goldschmidt resigns

The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly interested in looking to maintain one of their longest-tenured players, who is slated to hit free agency come season's end. However, making a decision like this would have an effect on more than just one person in the organization.

It was recently reported by Derrick Goold with the St. Louis Post Dispatch (paid prescription required), that the Cardinals will get in touch with former MVP Paul Goldschmidt about potentially discussing a new contract at the conclusion of the season.

Goldschmidt, who will turn 37 in September, is arguably having the worst season of his career in 2024. He has seen a steady decline in his production this season when it comes to hitting for average, hitting for power, and putting the ball in play consistently. This would lead some people to think with the decline in his play along with his age, it may be best to cut ties with Goldschmidt at the end of his contract but that may not be the case.

Even though the Cardinals were able to trade away players like Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson at the trade deadline, there is still some questions regarding a handful of position players on the Cardinals on where they're going to play, and for how often. Is Brendan Donovan going to continue to play primarily left field? Where does he go if Jordan Walker returns to the big leagues this year? Is Alec Burleson going to be an outfielder full-time in the future? And now you add Tommy Pham to that collection of players, it's a lot to unravel.

I would think that if the Cardinals bring back Goldschmidt for the 2025 season, we could see another trade involving position players to clear playing time for others and to give someone an opportunity to get more at-bats on another ball club. Here are 3 players that could be traded this winter if Goldschmidt decides to stay in St. Louis.

Luken Baker

If Paul Goldschmidt is staying around for 2025 then you have to look and evaluate the current first basemen in Triple-A Memphis who is having another strong offensive season in the minor leagues. 

Luken Baker may be in a bit in between a rock and a hard place at the moment. It seems like he is too good for Triple-A pitching, but he is not quite ready for major league pitching, which is what we saw in his brief big-league stint last season.

Baker is currently hitting .237 this season which is almost 100 points lower than last season, but he is still providing plenty of power, with 30 home runs and 74 RBI, giving him 63 home runs and 172 RBI total in the last two seasons in Memphis.

So you would obviously have nowhere to put Baker other than DH if he were to be on the roster at the same time as Goldschmidt, but it would be difficult to guarantee him playing time. He would probably be in the big leagues with several other organizations just for his bat and his ability to hit for power, it could be something the Cardinals would have to consider if they choose to re-sign Goldschmidt. 

It would also be a good time to maybe try and maximize on his current value and give him a chance elsewhere to play more frequently. I just wrote recently about how the Cardinals failed to do this with Moises Gomez when he was putting up huge numbers in Memphis, they decided to not call him up or trade him, and he was just recently granted his release. You’d hate to see that happen again with another minor league player, so if they decide to stick with Goldschmidt, then you have to ask yourself if it makes sense to have a 27-year-old who continuously hits 30+ home runs in the minors sitting in the minors without a clear cut path to get consistent AB’s in the bigs. 

Lars Nootbaar

This may be difficult for some fans to hear, but Lars Nootbaar may be just a league-average player, and nothing more than that. He does bring value to the team with his defense and his infectious personality, which makes him a fan favorite, but what if Paul Goldschmidt is still a Cardinal in 2025 and beyond, does Nootbaar have a spot on this roster?

As I previously mentioned, the best option to play first base currently on the 26-man roster would likely be Alec Burleson, but Goldschmidt staying would mean that Burleson stays put in the outfield. You then have Michael Siani and Victor Scott II as center field options, and then the other outfield spot could go to Nootbaar, but Brendan Donovan has played a lot of outfield this year, and when Jordan Walker is ready to be called up again, where do they all go?

It may be too early to give up on Jordan Walker just yet, he is still very young and still learning how to fix the mechanics in his swing to hit the ball in the air more consistently, the Cardinals wouldn't have made him a full-time outfielder if they didn't intend on having him play every day in the big leagues, and I still believe that's the case. Siani has earned his stripes and deserves to be the starting center fielder. Scott's bat may not quite be ready for big-league pitching, but his defense and speed add significant value. And of course, Burleson has had a breakout season at the plate, can you guarantee Nootbaar to be a regular starter in the outfield when all these players are healthy?

And speaking of health, that may be the biggest problem with Nootbaar, he has struggled with injuries the past few seasons. The most games he has played in a season is 117, and 2 stints on the injured list this season have limited him to only 64 games so far. He is also having the worst offensive season of his career. His batting average and OBP are tied for the lowest of his career, and his SLG, OPS, and OPS+ are all at the lowest of his career.

So let's say the Cardinals bring back Paul Goldschmidt for next season and beyond, and all of your outfielders are fully healthy, is Lars Nootbaar good enough to take away playing time from somebody else? It may sound strict, but I think it's at least worthy for a discussion.